Gwyllion Magazine
Reviewed by N. Richards
If you want to read something fresh and exciting, this is it!
“Gwyllion” is a very old Welsh word; it is mysterious and has a variety of possible translations. Folklorist Wirt Sikes richly describes it as “female fairies of frightful aspect who haunt lonely roads in the Welsh mountains and lead travellers astray.” Other possibilities include “watchmen” or “twilight/gloaming,” among others.
It’s the perfect title for a collection of eleven Welsh folklore-inspired short stories, each with different and unexpected subjects and influence.
Horror, science fiction, fantasy, and mind benders all await within the pages. Each story is unique and extraordinary, coming from the variety of imagination, skill, and passion of each of the authors. They each have a magic of their own, and manage to weave in more than a little Welsh misty mountain magic.
Dragons, river hags, Pleiadians, and wonders from the Welsh branch of Celtic mythology that you have never even heard of yet are waiting for you within the pages of “Gwyllion,” all set against modern and urban landscapes. It makes a bewitching collection that reads like modern fables.
Fantastical and awe inspiring! New literature at its best. Fans of Neil Gaiman will love these collections. As well, anyone with an interest in folklore, Celtic history and what lies beyond will be enthralled with these tales of wonder.
